Clock



Patentecl Max. 28, 1944 Christian Jauch, Winsted, Conn., assignor tWilliam L. Gilbert Clock Corporation, Winsted, Conn. a corporation cfConnecticut Application Februa'ry 28, 1941, Serial N0. 381,069

4 Claims.

The present invention relates 130 (Blocks and more particularly 130 atwenty-fomhour clock of Ehe type used. in airplanes and Wherein thec10ck mechanism is utilized for operating a su;n comDass or the like.

The object of the pressent invention is 120 Dm- Vide in conjunction withth clock mechamism suitable shiftable connecting means Whereby theconstant; rotation of the clock mechanism er, more specifically, theminute shaft may be Ultilized to operate an auxiliary shaft in either oftwo directions.

A still further object is to provide a clock cf this natura wherein theshiftable connecting means is so extremely compact that it may beincorporated within the clock casing Without unduly increasing the sizeor weight of the clock.

A still further object is to ineorporate the shiftab1e connecting meansin such a manner that When the clock has been installed within theairplane the means for c0ntrolling the shifta.b1e means mechanism isaccessible from the front of the c1ock.

Other objects Will be in part obvious and in part pointed out m0re indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the*features of constluction,combination of elements, and arrangemeni: of parts Which Will beexemplifled in the construction hereafter sei; forth and the soope 0fthe application of Which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanyin-g drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a clock incorporating the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a sideview with the casing partially in section tc sh0w theshiftable; c0nnecting means;

Fig. 3 is a vievv looking from the real cf the clock With the backplatze removed and showing the connecting means so positiond that; theauxiliary shaft Will operate in ehe sa'me directi0n as the minute.shaft;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the comnecting means shifted soa position to operate the auxi1iary shaft in a direction reverse 130 theminute shaft;

Fig. 5 is a view taken 0n line 5-5 of Ffig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a view taken on the 1ine 6-6 of Fig. 4.

R'eferring to the drawing, the c10ck comprises generally a casing A inwhich there is mounted a clock mechanism B and means C fo1' connectingthe clock mechanism to an auxiliary shaft D. Mo-re particularly, theclock casing comprises a cup-shaped she11 I0 provided at its rearperipheral edge With a radially extending flange I2 and having securedto its front face a dial I4. The clock mechanism B Within the casingincludes the spaced front sind rear supporting p1ates I5 and I8 securedtogether by pillarg '20.

As the c1ock Works which are supported between the pIate !5 and I8 maybe 015 a.ny usual type, wherein the minute band is mtated onoe every houand the hour. band once in every twenty-four hours, the parts Which arenot essential to an understahding of the inventioii ha ve not beenshown, but are generally designated by the rectangie 22.

Herein the minute shaft 24, Which makes a sing1e revolution per hour, is01 such length that it exterids through the front of the casing forreceiving the minute hand and through th e rear supporting plate H? Torc'rrying a gear 26 and. an auxiliary shaft 28. The auxiliary shaft; 23is intended to be c0nnected to another instrument, such, for example, asa sun compass, and for this reaso'n it must be Capable of being rotatedin a reverse direction. 'I'o accornplish this, as We11 as f0rconvenience in manufacture and assembly, the shaft 28 is provided w1th a0621- tral hollow bore 30 for telescoping 113 onto the extending end ofthe minute shaft; 24 Whereby 113 is concentric with and freely rotatabiecm sa1d shaft. T0 rotate shaft 28, it frther has an 111- tegrally formedgear 34 which is o'peratively con nected through the eonneeting means Cfso the gear which is directly secured t0 the minute shaft.

Referring now to the connectin means C, lt cornpriseg an el0ngatedplatze 36 provided ab its opposite ends with elongated slots 38 and 46for slidabiy mounting the piate on studs 42 threadably secured to thesupporting p1ate I6. The plate 36 is normally urged to the positionshown i n Fig. 3 by a, spring finger 44 secured at one end to thesupporting plate I8 and having its free and 46 engaging the plate 36adjacent the elengated slot 38. When the plate is so positioned, thegear 26 on the minutes shaft is connected to the gear 34 of theauxiliary shaft through a train of gear, generally designated as 48.'Ihis train of gears includes a, gear 50 meshing directly With the gear26 and a second gear 52 concentric with and secured to the gear 50 andmeshin direct1y with the gear 34. When so connected, it Will be seenthat upon rotation of the minuce shaft the auxiliary shaft 28 will besimultaneously rotated in a like direction; the gear ratio, however,being such thao there is a twenty-four-toone stepdown whereby theauxiliary shaft is rotated but once in twenty-fcur hours.

In order to rotate the auxiliary shaft in the opposite direction, theplate 36 is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 4 whereupon the geartrain 48 is disconnected and a second. gear train, genera1ly desi%natedas 54, 15 brought into operation. This gear train includes a gear 56mounted 0n the platze 36 and meshing directly with the gear 26, a secondgear 58 mounted on the plate 38 and meshing directly W1'th the gear 56,and a third gear 60 concentric with and secur:sa to the gear 58 andmeshing directly with the auxi'liary shaft;

gear 34. When so connectzed, itz will be seen that upon rotzatzion 015tzhe minutze shaftz the auxiliary shaftz will be rotzatzed in tzhe opfositze directzion,

Which, as witzh the gear tzrain 48, also has a twentzy-iour-to-onestepdown whereby tzhe auXiliary shaftz will be rotated butz once intzvveny-tonr I claim as my inventzion:

1. In a clock of tzhe charactzer described, a casing, a. clock mechanismwitzhin tzhe casing includlng a, rear supportzing plate, a minutzeshaftz extzending rearwardly of said rear supportzing platze, a gearcarried by said shaftz, an auxiliary -shaft concentric witzh androtatzably mountzed on the extending and of said minutze shaftz, a gearcarried by said auxiliary shaft, a firstz gear train forinterconnectzing said minutze shaftz gear and said auxiliary shaftz gearwhereby said auxiliary shaftz will be operatzed in tzh same directzionas clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, through 180 it will engage a shoulder66 on the plate 36 to shiftz the latter tzhe lenth of tzhe slotzs 38 and40 tzo tzhe positzicn indicated in Fig. 4. In order tzo limitz tzherotzatzion 013 cam 62'tzhe platze 36 is provided witzh a co1itzdur 68adjacentz tzhe shoulder 66 C01- responding tzo tzhatz of the cam 62.Obviously whe)nihe cam is positioned within tzhe contour 68 furtzherrotatzion is 1imitzed as tzhe plate 36 is restzrained agalnst: sidewaysmovementz by tzhe supportzing studs 42. Obviously When the cam 62 is'rotzate'd reversely from tzhe position shown in Fig. 4, tzhe springfinger 44, being uncler tensin, Will shiftz tzhe platze 36, and in thisinstance tzhe rotzation of the cam 62 is limited by itzs abutztingagainst tzhe side edge of th platze 36.

- T0 convenientzly manipulate tzhe cam 62, the shai tz 64 extendsthrough the supportzing plates I6 and I8 and terminates in a squarekey-receiving end. 10 located in alignmentz with an opening 12 providedin tzhe dia1 M (see Fig. l). T0 maintzain tzhe cam 62 in operativeposition on the platze I8, tzhe Iatter is held in position by a spring14 positioned betzween a collar 16 (see Fig. 6) se cured tzo tzhe leverand spaced slightzly from tzhe supportzing platze I8; tzhe spring beim;0 shaped tzhatz itz normally urges tzh'e collar away from the platze andtzhus maintains tzh cam in fiush comtactz witzh the rear face of tzheplatze.

. From tzhe foregoing itz will be seen thatz tzhe 0011- rieoting means Cfor alternatzely connecting tzhe auxiliary shaftz tzo tzhe minute shaftis extremely compactz and fu1ly supportzed on tzhe rear supportzing platI8 of tzhe clock mechanism, tzhus permitztzing tzhe entzire device tzobe readily as- Sembled witzhin tzhe casing lt). When so positioned, tzheauxiliary shaftz 28 may be readily mountzed on tzhe extending end oftzhe minutze shaftz and. theleafter tzhe casing closed by a rear plateI8. The rear platze is provided with a central opening 80 tzhrough whichtzhe auxiliary shaftz extends; tzhe lattzer shaft being held againstzoutzward movementz by providing thereon an enlarged col1ar 82 positionedbetzween tzhe platze 78 and the gear 34. T0 secure tzhe rear platze 78in position, tzh pillars may extef1d rearwardly of tzhe supportzingplate I8 and tzhe plate 78 provided witzh openings adaptzed 120 bealigned therewith for receiving suitzable securing sc':rews 64.

As many changes eould be made in tzhe above constzructzion and manyapparently widely differentz embodimentzs of this invention could bemade witzhout departzihg from the scope thereof, it; is intended thatzall matter contained in the above descriptzion or shown in theaccompanying drawing shall be interpretzed as illustrative and notz in alixr1itzing sense.

Itz is also tzo be understood thatz tzhe language nsed in tzhefollowingclaims is intended tzo cover all of the gerieric and specificfeatzures of tzhe inventzion herein described and all statzementzs oftzhe scope cf the invention which, as a matter of the minute shaftz, asecond gear train for connectzing said minutze shaft gear to saidauxiliarg shaftz gear whereby said auxiliary shaftz Will bc operatzeclin a directziou reverse tzo tzhe minute shaft, and means fora1tzernatzely bringing said gear trains into operative relation witzhsaid minute shaftz gear and said auxiliary shaft; gear.

2. In a clock of tzhe character described, a casing, a clock mechanismWithin the casing including a rear supportzing plate, a minutze shaftextending rearwardly of said rear supportzing platze, a gear carried bysaid sha-ftz, a rotatzably mounted auxiliary shaftz, a gear carried bysaid auxiliary shaftz, a firstz and second gear train forinterconnecting said minute shaftz gear and said auxiliary shaft gear, acommon supporiz for said gear tzrains including a member slidablymounted on said rear supportzing platze, and means for shiftzing saidsupport tzo selectively bring one of said gear tzrains intzo p0sitziontzo connectz said auxiliary shaftz gear witzh said minute shaftz gear.

3. In a Clock cf tzhe charactzer described, a casing, a clock mechanismwitzhin the casing including a rear supportzing platzea minute shaftzextending rearwardly 0f said rear supportzing platze, a gear carried bysaid shaftz, an auxiliary shaft; positioneci rearwardly of said rearsupportzing-plate, a gear carried by said shaftz, shiftzing meanscomprising a mernber slidably mounted on said rear supportzing plate,means comprising a pair of gear tzrains carried by said shiftable meansand. operative when in one p0sitzion of tzhe shiftzable means tzointerconnectz said minutze shaft; and said auxiliary shaftz foroperation in tzhe same directzion and operative when in the otzherpositzicn of said shiftable means to connect said minutze shaftz andauxiliary shaft: for operation in reverse directzion, means for normallyholding said shiftzable member in one of itzs positzions, and means forshifting said shifta;ble membar tzo itzs otzher position.

4. In a clock of the charactzer described, a casing, a clock mechanismsupported within the casing. and including a minute shaftz an auxiliaryshaft supportzed witzhin said casing and extending outzwardlytherefronr, a gear carried by each of said shaftzs, a first: gear tzrainfor inte1a connectzing said minutze shaftz gear and said auxiliaryshaftz gear whereby said auxiliary shaftz will be operated in the samedirectzion a's the minutze shaftz, a second gear train for connectzingsaid minutze shaftz gear tzo said auxiliary shaftz V hormally holdingsaid support in position wherelanguage, mightz be ;said tzo fal1therebetween.

by one cf said gear trains connectzs said minutze shaftz gear andauxiliar'y shaftz gear, and means for shiftzing Said supportz todisconnectz said firstz gear tzrain and connectz said second gear train.

CHRISTIAN JAUCH.

